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First National Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures
Not part of a collection.
A million dollars worth of adventure!
Dr. Peter Blood, unjustly convicted of treason and exiled from England, becomes a notorious pirate.
John Chard
Mar 18, 2019 · via TMDB
What a creature must sit on the throne who lets a man like you deal out his justice! Captain Blood is directed by Michael Curtiz and adapted by Casey Robinson from the Rafael Sabatini novel. It stars Errol Flynn, Olivia de Haviland, Basil Rathbone, Ross Alexander and Lionel Atwill. Music is scored by Erich Wolfgang Korngold and photography is shared between Ernest Haller and Hal Mohr. 1685, England, and Dr. Peter Blood (Flynn) is unjustly convicted of treason against the King. Escaping the death penalty, Blood and the other supposed rebels are sold into slavery at the English colony of Port Royal. Bought by kindly Arabella Bishop (de Havilland), Blood settles down to work as physician to the local governor. But when the town comes under attack from the Spanish, Blood and his friends seize the opportunity to commandeer the Spanish ship and escape... And Thus Captain Blood Began His Career Of Piracy. . . With A Ship, A Handful Of Men, And A Brain. . . It could all have been so different had Robert Donat not turned down the role of Captain Blood. In came Flynn at the last minute, a swaggering superstar was born and classic cinema got a handful of truly rousing swashbucklers that continue to delight millions even today. Not to mention it also brought further notice of de Havilland's ability, with this picture the first of eight she would make with Flynn. Even though it was seen of something of a gamble for Warner Brothers at the time, the film actually isn't that big in budgetary terms, all the remarkable, then, that Curtiz and his team have fashioned such an entertainingly rousing picture. Although Flynn gleefully dominates proceedings, and in the process gives the film its only real flaw by rendering much of the other characters to being like awe-struck observers, much of the credit for Captain Blood's success is down to Robinson's screenplay. Running at just over two hours in length, film is chocked full of action, plot and asides to the British monarchy of the 17th century, deftly split into two halves by the wily Curtiz. First half establishes the major players and incidence, taking a good honest man in a hot political climate and forcing him to go rogue. This then fills the second part as Blood becomes the feared pirate of the high seas, and then ultimately his journey back to a life of normality and love flecked happiness. In amongst this journey to piracy and back, film is decked out with moments of spectacle. Be it Flynn swishing and swashing with blade, or swinging in on a rope, or the sight of cannons blasting away in tall ship duels, Curtiz ensures the pace is brisk and the adrenaline is often stirred. In the mix is the chemistry between Flynn and de Haviland, which obviously hits the ground running, and two deliciously shifty turns from Messrs Atwill and Rathbone. Stunts are aplenty and although the sets are at times at the bare minimum, Curtiz and his photographers get maximum impact by going for a near Expressionist style. All of which is scored with thunderous verve by master composer Korngold. Flynn would better this with both "The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)" and "The Sea Hawk (1940)", but Captain Blood is undeniably the influential template. 9/10
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Errol Flynn
Dr. Peter Blood
Olivia de Havilland
Arabella Bishop
Lionel Atwill
Colonel Bishop
Basil Rathbone
Levasseur
Ross Alexander
Jeremy Pitt
Guy Kibbee
Hagthorpe
Henry Stephenson
Lord Willoughby
Robert Barrat
Wolverstone
Hobart Cavanaugh
Dr. Bronson
Donald Meek
Dr. Whacker
Jessie Ralph
Mrs. Barlow
Frank McGlynn Sr.
Reverend Ogle
Holmes Herbert
Capt. Gardner
David Torrence
Andrew Baynes
J. Carrol Naish
Cahusac
Pedro de Cordoba
Don Diego
George Hassell
Governor Steed
Matthew Beard
Governor's Attendant
Harry Cording
Kent
Leonard Mudie
Baron Jeffreys
Ivan F. Simpson
Prosecutor
Mary Forbes
Mrs. Steed
E. E. Clive
Clerk of the Court
Colin Kenny
Lord Chester Dyke
Gardner James
Slave
Vernon Steele
King James
Yola d'Avril
Girl in Tavern (uncredited)
Halliwell Hobbes
Lord Sunderland (uncredited)
Murray Kinnell
Court Clerk (uncredited)
Chris-Pin Martin
Sentry (uncredited)
James Pier Mason
Pirate (uncredited)
Louis Mercier
Pirate (uncredited)
Paul Panzer
Pirate (uncredited)
Frank Puglia
French Officer (uncredited)
Georges Renavent
French Captain (uncredited)
Jim Thorpe
Pirate (uncredited)
Anton Grot
Art Direction
Ernest Haller
Director of Photography
Michael Curtiz
Director
Hal B. Wallis
Executive Producer
Jack L. Warner
Executive Producer
Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Original Music Composer
Rafael Sabatini
Novel
Casey Robinson
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Dec 19, 1935
Dec 26, 1935
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Dec 28, 1935
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1965
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1987 · 14 wins
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